Servicing car myself - pros & cons
Discussion
Hi all,
I'm thinking of doing the next service on my Audi A3 myself. Paid over £200 for my last service at an independent although that did include spark plugs and brake fluid change. I'm a complete novice when it comes to stuff like this but surely a DIY service isn't that hard? £25 axle stands, half decent toolkit and service parts for probably £60 from ECP and that should be it. Only thing I'm concerned about though is service history in the book and resale value.
I'm thinking of doing the next service on my Audi A3 myself. Paid over £200 for my last service at an independent although that did include spark plugs and brake fluid change. I'm a complete novice when it comes to stuff like this but surely a DIY service isn't that hard? £25 axle stands, half decent toolkit and service parts for probably £60 from ECP and that should be it. Only thing I'm concerned about though is service history in the book and resale value.
Pros - it is fun to do your own servicing and you will feel a sense of achievement. You get to buy tools. You impress blokes.
Cons - it is not much more expensive to get a professional to do it and they will be much quicker. Women hate men with oily hands!
Draw - a good professional will do a better job than you but you will do a better job than a cowboy
Cons - it is not much more expensive to get a professional to do it and they will be much quicker. Women hate men with oily hands!
Draw - a good professional will do a better job than you but you will do a better job than a cowboy
Pro's - save a fortune, good tools will serve you well for years to come. Knowing the job is done properly. Sense of satisfaction/achievement. Builds general DIY confidence/man skills.
Con's - will affect resale if your car is new (ish), will cause more problems if your car is still under warranty. Can be hard graft during in the street in the middle of winter! I try and schedule everything during the summer.
Con's - will affect resale if your car is new (ish), will cause more problems if your car is still under warranty. Can be hard graft during in the street in the middle of winter! I try and schedule everything during the summer.
Rewe said:
Draw - a good professional will do a better job than you but you will do a better job than a cowboy
Certainly true initially, but it doesn't take long to get to the stage where you're doing a better job than any garage simply because if its your car, you're willing to spend considerably more time on it. I service my own cars primarily because I enjoy doing so, but I genuinely believe I do a better job than any garage would. I have started doing work myself on my weekend car wherever possible (changed the cat this morning) and recommend it for all the reasons previously mentioned.
One thing I would say though is as it is only a weekend car if I muck something up or a job takes longer than expected I can afford for the car to be sat for however long it takes to finish the job or get the right bits. If your A3 is your only car make sure you plan well ahead!
One thing I would say though is as it is only a weekend car if I muck something up or a job takes longer than expected I can afford for the car to be sat for however long it takes to finish the job or get the right bits. If your A3 is your only car make sure you plan well ahead!
I like to "know" my cars. I drive older cars and do everything I can myself, I learn from YouTube, forums and Haines manuals. Good tools are priceless, the hardest part of home mechanics I've found is undoing things that are either stuck or hard to get to.
Servicing is relatively easy formfkuids and filters, a few little tricks but pretty straightforward. I also like To keep an eyes on bushings and general under car stuff tomspot leaks, rust, damage etc and try to then plan in future spend.
Axle stands as a minimum, though I bought some short drive on ramps from machine mart for about £30 which I'm
Min happier working under and give me room to slide under (obviously nongood if you want wheels off though!).
Servicing is relatively easy formfkuids and filters, a few little tricks but pretty straightforward. I also like To keep an eyes on bushings and general under car stuff tomspot leaks, rust, damage etc and try to then plan in future spend.
Axle stands as a minimum, though I bought some short drive on ramps from machine mart for about £30 which I'm
Min happier working under and give me room to slide under (obviously nongood if you want wheels off though!).
pros:
- possibly cheaper, depends how you value your free time
- small sense of satisfaction
negatives:
-needing to buy tools
-can be time consuming (not always as simple as it looks)
-warranty issues
-service history issues come sale time
-A professional will do a much better job
- skinned knuckles (just looking under the bonnet skins my knuckles this time of year)
- buggering it up and having to take it to a garage anyway, (snapped spark plug
)
- possibly cheaper, depends how you value your free time
- small sense of satisfaction
negatives:
-needing to buy tools
-can be time consuming (not always as simple as it looks)
-warranty issues
-service history issues come sale time
-A professional will do a much better job
- skinned knuckles (just looking under the bonnet skins my knuckles this time of year)
- buggering it up and having to take it to a garage anyway, (snapped spark plug
)shotta287 said:
Paid over £200 for my last service at an independent although that did include spark plugs and brake fluid change.
That sounds an absolute bargain. No way is it worth faffing about with DIY against that price - especially if you don't have the experience or the tools.A “professional” will do a better job. What’s a professional? Will someone on bonus do a better job? As with all aspects of life there are those that do an excellent job and those that don’t.
I do all my own repairs as I know they are done to my standards. It helps that I did a BMW apprenticeship and then gained Technician qualifications. Now I just work on cars for fun in a professional manner!
I do all my own repairs as I know they are done to my standards. It helps that I did a BMW apprenticeship and then gained Technician qualifications. Now I just work on cars for fun in a professional manner!
Ive managed to keep my Alfa in a good serviced condition over the last 8 years by doing nearly all the work myself..
Brake pads,exhaust,oil/fuel filter changes,sparkplugs etc have been done by myself with little fuss,timing belt/waterpump/idlers have been done my local garage though and i believe i have saved a small fortune.
I make sure the work is done in the summer though
Brake pads,exhaust,oil/fuel filter changes,sparkplugs etc have been done by myself with little fuss,timing belt/waterpump/idlers have been done my local garage though and i believe i have saved a small fortune.
I make sure the work is done in the summer though
shotta287 said:
Hi all,
I'm thinking of doing the next service on my Audi A3 myself. Paid over £200 for my last service at an independent although that did include spark plugs and brake fluid change. I'm a complete novice when it comes to stuff like this but surely a DIY service isn't that hard? £25 axle stands, half decent toolkit and service parts for probably £60 from ECP and that should be it. Only thing I'm concerned about though is service history in the book and resale value.
You will need the time, space, tools and skills. I'm thinking of doing the next service on my Audi A3 myself. Paid over £200 for my last service at an independent although that did include spark plugs and brake fluid change. I'm a complete novice when it comes to stuff like this but surely a DIY service isn't that hard? £25 axle stands, half decent toolkit and service parts for probably £60 from ECP and that should be it. Only thing I'm concerned about though is service history in the book and resale value.
How much is your time worth? The job will take at least twice the amount of time doing it yourself as taking it to a decent garage.
You will need far more tools than you realise
Obviously everyone on here is a factory trained technician, so it's no wonder they can do a better job than someone who does it for a living all day every day. You will do your car what, twice a year? Or you could take it to someone that services 3 cars a day, every day. Who will know more about servicing a car?
Changing the oil is fairly easy, unscrew the sump plug, drain the oil, unscrew the filter, replace filter, replace the sump plug, refill with oil. But what oil? Which filter is the best for the job? What happens when you over tighten the sump plug or can't get the filter off? Are you going to have a look at the rest of the car while you're at it and do you know what you're looking at?
I was fortunate enough to find someone I trust and just let him get on with it. If he over tightend the sump plug or wheel nuts, it's him that's got to get them off next time.
Drive Blind said:
sheepman said:
-A professional will do a much better job
brakes in a mess , wheels all stuck on , and no grease on anything , how the bonnet cable didn't snap god knows , etc ..
Willy Nilly said:
You will need the time, space, tools and skills.
How much is your time worth? The job will take at least twice the amount of time doing it yourself as taking it to a decent garage.
You will need far more tools than you realise
Obviously everyone on here is a factory trained technician, so it's no wonder they can do a better job than someone who does it for a living all day every day. You will do your car what, twice a year? Or you could take it to someone that services 3 cars a day, every day. Who will know more about servicing a car?
Changing the oil is fairly easy, unscrew the sump plug, drain the oil, unscrew the filter, replace filter, replace the sump plug, refill with oil. But what oil? Which filter is the best for the job? What happens when you over tighten the sump plug or can't get the filter off? Are you going to have a look at the rest of the car while you're at it and do you know what you're looking at?
I was fortunate enough to find someone I trust and just let him get on with it. If he over tightend the sump plug or wheel nuts, it's him that's got to get them off next time.
I can certainly appreciate your point of view. However routine servicing (plugs, filters , oil etc) is not hard and usually needs nothing fancy.How much is your time worth? The job will take at least twice the amount of time doing it yourself as taking it to a decent garage.
You will need far more tools than you realise
Obviously everyone on here is a factory trained technician, so it's no wonder they can do a better job than someone who does it for a living all day every day. You will do your car what, twice a year? Or you could take it to someone that services 3 cars a day, every day. Who will know more about servicing a car?
Changing the oil is fairly easy, unscrew the sump plug, drain the oil, unscrew the filter, replace filter, replace the sump plug, refill with oil. But what oil? Which filter is the best for the job? What happens when you over tighten the sump plug or can't get the filter off? Are you going to have a look at the rest of the car while you're at it and do you know what you're looking at?
I was fortunate enough to find someone I trust and just let him get on with it. If he over tightend the sump plug or wheel nuts, it's him that's got to get them off next time.
Many dealers literally smash jobs out as they make money if they work faster than book/scheduled time.
Several years ago I bought a one year old A3 from a main dealer.
At 37k I booked in at the main dealers for a service. After handing the keys over I asked the Service Manager what was to be done in this service.
Quote; "All fluids and filters will be changed. At this one we will even change the spark plugs" she said.
At this point I should have asked for the keys to my TDI to be returned, but believing the workshop staff would be more knowledgeable I let them carry on.
When I got the car home I lifted the bonnet, looked at the dirty brake fluid and lifted the top off the air filter. Apart from general dirt there were two moths and a bumble bee from the previous summer.
I have never used a main dealer since or owned an Audi, and don't ever intend to.
I also managed to persuade two other people not to to buy their new Audi's there.
Paul G
At 37k I booked in at the main dealers for a service. After handing the keys over I asked the Service Manager what was to be done in this service.
Quote; "All fluids and filters will be changed. At this one we will even change the spark plugs" she said.
At this point I should have asked for the keys to my TDI to be returned, but believing the workshop staff would be more knowledgeable I let them carry on.
When I got the car home I lifted the bonnet, looked at the dirty brake fluid and lifted the top off the air filter. Apart from general dirt there were two moths and a bumble bee from the previous summer.
I have never used a main dealer since or owned an Audi, and don't ever intend to.
I also managed to persuade two other people not to to buy their new Audi's there.
Paul G
If Just doing oil, oil filter and air filter changes you just need bare essentials to do it yourself.
An oil extractor is a good tool, and if the oil filter is placed on top of the engine then you don’t even need to get underneath to service the car, done loads of cars like this without issue, only Car I struggled with an oil extractor was a tdci Mondeo, the tube was too wide to get into the sump.
If the car has a small sump I.e under 5 litres I can do a service (oil, oil filter, air filter) for about £45ish with fully synthetic oil.
An oil extractor is a good tool, and if the oil filter is placed on top of the engine then you don’t even need to get underneath to service the car, done loads of cars like this without issue, only Car I struggled with an oil extractor was a tdci Mondeo, the tube was too wide to get into the sump.
If the car has a small sump I.e under 5 litres I can do a service (oil, oil filter, air filter) for about £45ish with fully synthetic oil.
powerstroke said:
Yes just bought a 3 year old ford with full ford history , bare minimum is the other way of saying FMDSH ..
brakes in a mess , wheels all stuck on , and no grease on anything , how the bonnet cable didn't snap god knows , etc ..
brakes in a mess , wheels all stuck on , and no grease on anything , how the bonnet cable didn't snap god knows , etc ..
helix402 said:
A “professional” will do a better job. What’s a professional? Will someone on bonus do a better job? As with all aspects of life there are those that do an excellent job and those that don’t.
I do all my own repairs as I know they are done to my standards. It helps that I did a BMW apprenticeship and then gained Technician qualifications. Now I just work on cars for fun in a professional manner!
Of course, everyone on PH falls into the professional category I was referring to I do all my own repairs as I know they are done to my standards. It helps that I did a BMW apprenticeship and then gained Technician qualifications. Now I just work on cars for fun in a professional manner!
i'm sorry but someone who works at a trusted, reputable garage, working on cars all year round is going to be better than someone who has a go at the weekends/does odd jobs.
of course there are garages with poor work quality, they don't fall into the professional category I was referring to.
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